NASCAR investigating noose left in Bubba Wallace's garage stall

In a statement released Sunday evening, NASCAR said it was made aware of a noose found in the garage stall of the No. 43 team at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Wallace is the only full-time African-American driver in the Cup Series.

After a lengthy rain delay, Sunday’s race was postponed until 3 p.m. ET Monday.

“We are angry and outraged and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act,” NASCAR said in a statement. “We have launched an immediate investigation and will do everything we can to identify the person (s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.

“As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all.”

Due to the restrictions on access by COVID-19 protocols, the only people with access to the Cup garage are Cup team members, NASCAR officials and track and safety workers.

Wallace released the following statement Sunday night:

“Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism,” he said.

“Over the last several weeks I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and team members in the garage.”

Richard Petty Statement

"I'm enraged by the act of someone placing a noose in the garage stall of my race team. There is absolutely no place in our sport or our society for racism. This filthy act serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to eradicate racial prejudice and it galvanizes my resolve to use the resources of Richard Petty Motorsports to create change. The sick person who perpetrated this act must be found, exposes, and swiftly and immediately expelled from NASCAR. I believe in my heart this despicable act is not representative of the competitors I see each day in the NASCAR garage area. I stand shoulder to shoulder with Bubba, yesterday, today, tomorrow and every day forward." - Richard Petty

On June 10 NASCAR issued a statement banning the Confederate flag from being displayed at any of its events.

During the day Saturday and Sunday, a group of protestors in pickup trucks and motorcycles paraded back and forth on Speedway Boulevard outside the track with Confederate flags flying. Other than holding up traffic at slower than normal speeds, the protestors were peaceful and there were no reports of any confrontations.

Additionally, a small plane could be seen flying at a high altitude nearly two hours before the scheduled race time Sunday carrying a banner that included the Confederate flag and the slogan “Defund NASCAR.”

Motorsport.com has confirmed that the FBI is on the property at Talladega Superspeedway and conducting an investigation.

Statement from U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town

"The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Alabama, FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are reviewing the situation surrounding the noose that was found in Bubba Wallace’s garage to determine whether there are violations of federal law. Regardless of whether federal charges can be brought, this type of action has no place in our society.”